The purpose of the study of Coronary Artery Disease Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) is to investigate distribution and evolution of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in a sample of 18 to 30-year-old black white males and females with a range of attained education. The primary objective of this contract is to provide a centralized Echocardiography Reading Center to develop, implement, and monitor performance of a protocol for the echocardiographic examinations within CARDIA. The purpose of this examination is to quantify cardiac structure and function as related to risk factors for overt cardiovascular disease in a young population. The secondary objectives of the Echocardiography Reading Center are to: (1) develop and implement a standard protocol for echocardiographic studies to be performed at multiple sites; (2) develop and implement methodology for rapid and reproducible measurement of echocardiographic studies at a central site; (3) recommend and with NHLBI approval obtain equipment for four field centers; (4) standardize performance and maintain quality of echocardiographic examinations performed at multiple sites and of measurements performed at the Echocardiography Reading Center; (5) train technicians and readers in performance of developed protocols; and (6) provide expertise for proper analysis and interpretation of echocardiographic data as related to cardiovascular risk development in young adults. This Contractor shall serve as the Echocardiography Reading Center (ERC) for this study. Duties of the ERC include equipment selection, protocol development, technician training, central reading, and data transmittal and analysis for the echocardiographic examinations within the CARDIA cohort.
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